When You're Gone
by hyuuchiha
Summary: Songfic. Lavi misinterprets Neji's words and decides to leave. Even these two have their moments, but everything works out in the end, just like it should. Lavi/Neji. Salkiaverse


**When You're Gone**

_**I always needed time on my own  
I never thought I'd need you there when I cry**_

``You're _leaving_?``

``Yeah,`` came the sharp reply, a soft thud resonating when the duffel bag hit the floor. The red haired male began filling the bag with some of his clothes, his single emerald eye narrowed in anger. ``Ya want me out, I can take a hint.``

The dark haired shinobi glared at his lover silently, his arms tucked loosely across his chest, back leaned against the nearby wall, though he said nothing else.

``I'll be back to get the rest of my stuff later,`` Lavi muttered, picking up the bag and quickly starting for the door, barely giving a glance back before heading out of the apartment.

Neji's head tilted forwards, dark hair falling around his shoulders, halfway hiding his face. ``I never wanted you to leave,`` he whispered, a single tear running down his cheek and eventually dropping to the floor.

_**  
And the days feel like years when I'm alone  
And the bed where you lie is made up on your side**_

It had been almost two days since their fight.

The Bookman Junior sat on the edge of his bed, one hand pressed against the side of his head, the other resting in his lap. He slowly turned his head, staring towards the other side of the bed that lay untouched, whereas it would normally be occupied by his lover's warmth.

Lavi shut his solitary eye, turning and lying down in the bed, tucking one arm underneath his head. When he turned on his side, he expected to feel arms around his waist, but he had to remind himself that he was alone.

_Neji . . ._ He curled his hand into a tight fist, pressing it against the pillow on the other side and shuddering slightly, falling asleep only minutes later.

_**When you walk away I count the steps that you take  
Do you see how much I need you right now?**_

Moving silently, the Hyuuga continued to look over his list of things he needed to pick up, stepping down one of the aisles in the grocery store and reaching for the item that he had practically memorized the location of.

Though, the feeling of warmth beneath his fingers made him look up from the paper in his hand, soft lavender eyes locking on the male in front of him.

Lavi gripped his fingers around the package of skewers, blinking towards the hand on his own then turning his head to see who it belonged to. His eye narrowed, hand tightening still before he pulled it away and turned on his heel, quickly starting back down the aisle.

Neji watched the package of skewers hit the floor, but swiftly turned his attention back upwards, watching the retreating Bookman for the moment. _If he doesn't look back, there's no chance …_

The redhead continued walking, stopping just at the end of the aisle and slowly looking back over his shoulder at the younger male. It took him a long moment, but he shook his head and rounded the corner.

Something inside of the brunet fluttered, his heart practically skipping a beat before he moved to pick up the sticks that had fallen on the floor. _We'll be okay_.

_**When you're gone  
The pieces of my heart are missing you  
When you're gone  
The face I came to know is missing too  
When you're gone  
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it okay  
I miss you**_

The ninja laid out on the floor of his living room, holding a ribbon between his fingers and moving it about in front of the kitten that was sprawled out on her belly. He laughed softly when she dove for the ribbon, tangling herself into it and eventually pulling it from his fingers.

Neji allowed her to take it, watching her scamper off under the table. He rolled onto his back, placing his arms over his stomach and staring at the ceiling, though they opened back up when he felt little claws in his side.

Reaching out, he plucked up the kitten and blinked at what she was holding in her mouth; a black and bright green headband. _Lavi,_ he thought silently, reaching to gently take the fabric from the cat.

The brunet held the headband tightly in his hand, shutting his eyes and resting his hand against his chest. He stayed that way for a long while and the kitten, curiousity getting the better of her, jumped on his chest and curled up into a little ball, falling asleep only seconds later.

He didn't move from that spot for the rest of the day.

_**I've never felt this way before  
Everything that I do reminds me of you**_

That night though, Neji was back on his feet, quickly putting together something to eat. He halted suddenly in his movements, finally noticing what exactly he had been making; yakiniku, which was Lavi's favorite.

Suddenly, he didn't feel hungry anymore . . .

_**And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor  
And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do**_

Lavi continued collecting his clothes, tossing them into the basket in his arm, a half smile on his face.

Picking up a shirt from the floor, he stopped and cocked an eyebrow, looking it over curiously. Well, it looked too small to be his, but maybe he was imagining things.

When he brought it closer, the exorcist's smile faded, his green eye shutting as he inhaled the scent on the shirt. There was a faint smell of coconuts and vanilla.

He set the shirt back on the floor and continued picking up his own things, doing his best to avoid anything that had that certain smell, but he eventually gave up and took to sitting on the floor, gathering Neji's clothes into a pile and folding them up.

Doing this brought back old memories of when the ninja would sit in almost the exact same spot, folding their clothes, putting them in separate piles and then only move to go put them away. God, did Lavi sure missed watching that, no matter how many people thought it would be boring.

_**When you walk away I count the steps that you take  
Do you see how much I need you right now?**_

_Four days and counting_, the redhead told himself, letting out a sigh and continuing his brisk walk down the street, not exactly watching where he was going with his gaze on the ground.

When he collided with something, Lavi was quick to balance himself back out, averting his eye from the ground to look at who he had ran into.

The Konoha nin brushed himself off, a light glare on his face as he tilted his head up to also see who had ran into him, though his anger faded slightly, his glare did not.

Taking a step back, the Bookman stared at the other male silently, half expecting him to hit him from that look on his face, but he was slightly shocked when Neji merely turned around and began walking the other way as if nothing had happened.

Lavi began to count the steps that the younger took, getting to about thirty something before he couldn't see him anymore. _It has to work out, right?_

He nodded as if to confirm this and went back to walking down the street.

_**When you're gone  
The pieces of my heart are missing you  
When you're gone  
The face I came to know is missing too  
When you're gone  
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it okay  
I miss you**_

Jumping to another tree branch, the shinobi easily balanced himself out on the limb, lowering his hands to grip onto it afterward. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stand being without his lover; he wanted to see him, hold him, kiss him. He wanted it all back to normal. _I miss you._

The redhead laid out near the lakes edge, one leg pulled up, the other crossed over it and his hands tucked underneath his head for a makeshift pillow. He could remember certain times when he had laid here with his boyfriend, staring at the clouds that floated by or the stars that twinkled in the night. It hurt almost too much to think about, so instead, he shut his eye and let his mind wander to other things.

No matter what he thought about, everything seemed to bring him back to the ninja and he could faintly remember words that they had spoken in this exact place.

_``Do you ever think about what's up there?``_

_``Up where?`` asked the Bookman._

_``In the sky,`` replied the darker haired male._

_``Yeah, sometimes.``_

_``You think you will be up there?``_

_``If I'm with you, I don't care where I am.``_

The exorcist sighed softly at the flashback, his hands locking tighter together; he would never forget the smile that had graced his lover's features after that short discussion.

_**We were made for each other  
Out here forever  
I know we were, yeah  
All I ever wanted was for you to know  
Everything I'd do, I'd give my heart and soul  
I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me, yeah**_

Once he reached the clearing, Neji stopped just a few feet away from the lakes edge, slowly peering down into the water at his reflection. He hadn't noticed how odd it felt to put his hair up again; he hadn't done it in so long because Lavi liked it when it was down.

Slowly, he sat down, crossing his legs indian style and setting his hands on his knees, eyes shutting soon after as he let himself slip into silent meditation.

It was a long while until he pulled himself from the trance at the sound of footsteps, his head quickly turning in the direction he could hear them coming from, but he didn't move an inch.

At the sight of his red haired lover though, the Hyuuga blinked slowly and turned away, crossing his arms over his chest, his gaze focusing back on the water.

_**When you're gone  
The pieces of my heart are missing you  
When you're gone  
The face I came to know is missing too  
When you're gone  
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it okay  
I miss you**_

Lavi continued towards the brunet, that single green eye locked onto him, even when he turned away to look at the lake again.

When he was close enough, he crouched next to the smaller male and reached out, wrapping his arms tightly around him and reaching to pull Neji's hair free from the tie, burying his face into the soft locks afterward.

Neji blinked when Lavi continued over to him, tilting his head towards him then biting back a gasp when he was pulled into a warm embrace, his arms almost instantly moving around Lavi's shoulders to lock around his neck. He hadn't even noticed his hair being pulled free.

``I'm sorry,`` murmured the older male, his cheek pressing against the top of Neji's head when the nin ducked into his shoulder, both hands smoothing down his back and resting on his hips.

The younger shook his head, tightening his arms then leaning up and pressing soft kisses against Lavi's neck, moving up and over his jaw and stopping at his cheek. ``So am I,`` he replied softly, leaving one last, lingering kiss on his cheek.

``Come on.`` Lavi smiled brightly and moved his arms, keeping one resting against the other male's back, the other one lowering to slip underneath his legs as he lifted them both off the ground.

``I'll help you bring your things--``

``No.``

``...hm?``

``I just want to be with ya right now. I missed ya too much. We can worry about that later.``

``...I missed you, too.``

Merely blinking again, Neji stared up at the elder then smiled softly, lifting his arms to wrap around Lavi's neck once more. ``I love you,`` he whispered.

The Bookman looked down at his lover in his arms, grinning and ducking to nuzzle his nose against Neji's cheek. ``I love ya too,`` he replied quickly, almost instantly feeling better after saying those words.

With that said, Lavi began to take them both out of the forest, his smile never fading. _More than you could ever know, my little song bird._

_**END**_


End file.
